In a historic event, the newly-constructed Marawi City Jail in Barangay Biaba Damag, Lanao del Sur was inaugurated in observance of the seventh anniversary of the Marawi siege, the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) said on Friday, May 24.

To recall, the five-month long armed conflict between government troops and militant groups occured from May 23 to Oct. 23, 2017 and left many parts of the city in ruins, which included the old Marawi City Jail where the BJMP-supervised persons deprived of liberty (PDLs) were incarcerated.

The BJMP noted that the plan to rebuild the facility was initiated during the activation of Task Force Bangon Marawi where various stakeholders took part in the planning that included the Mindanao State University (MSU) which donated the land where the new Marawi City Jail stands.

"BJMP’s operationalization of the new Marawi City Jail was made possible with the support of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) of the Australian government," the BJMP noted.

Interior and Local Government Undersecretary for Public Safety Serafin P. Barretto Jr. stressed that the construction of the Marawi City Jail “is just the start of the entire process of restoration and that the more serious and greater work is in the healing of the people of Marawi."

Aside from Baretto, Australian Embassy Deputy Ambassador Moya Collett; UNODC regional representative to Southeast Asia and the Pacific Masood Karimipour, UNODC Country Manager for the Philippines Daniele Marchesi, Marawi City Mayor Majul U. Gandamra and Director for International Affairs and Linkages Office of the Mindanao State University Director Melba M. Angin graced the event.

Also present during the inauguration were various stakeholders from the International Committee of the Red Cross, court judges and barangay officials of Marawi City, and partners including members of the Task Force Bangon Marawi.